Love You like a Love Song
by Pop the Question
Summary: Leah has been best friends with Jake for as long as she can remember, yet she has avoided meeting Bella, his other best friend, for many years. Her mother's wedding and Jake's intervening finally brings them together, changing both of their lives forever.


Pop the Question Contest Entry

Title: Love You like a Love Song

Word count: 7,110

Pairing: Leah and Bella

Rating: M for language, lemons and cheesy pop songs.

Summary: Leah has been best friends with Jake for as long as she can remember, yet she has avoided meeting Bella, his other best friend, for many years. Her mother's wedding and Jake's intervening finally brings them together, changing both of their lives forever.

Warnings: This is a femme-slash contest entry, meaning two women will be making love, if this subject matter disturbs you, please proceed to read the other contest entries. If it doesn't disturb you at all, then go ahead and enjoy the smutty goodness! ;)

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns _Twilight_ and all its characters, but she didn't give Leah a HEA, so I'm taking the liberty of trying to achieve that. I'm also taking the liberty of using Demi Lovato as Leah since she embodies the personality of the character I envisioned whilst writing this.

**Love You like a Love Song**

= Leah Clearwater =

Seattle, Washington

-June 16th, 2012 -

"I can't believe you're making me do this," I scoffed, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Will you be a good girl, and stop moving?" Jake asked, applying more mascara to my lashes. "And stop complaining. You're gonna have fun; trust me."

I huffed loudly. "I don't even know where we're going, Jacob. All I know is that we're going to hang out with your friend _Bella_."

"Jealous much?" Jake teased. I glared at him, punching his arm. "Ouch, that hurt!"

"Of course it did!" I cried. "I don't hit like a girl, you know. I don't hit like _you_ do."

Jake exhaled, setting the mascara bottle down on the counter. "Okay, what's really bothering you, sweetie?"

"Nothing," I lied, rolling my eyes.

"Leah, you're my best friend, and not only that, we've known each other forever, okay? I know when something's bothering you."

God, I hated being so damn transparent, but most of all, I hated when Jake was right. Of course, he'd know something was bothering me since we'd been friends forever. My parents and his were best friends, which meant that we were practically joined at the hip since we were in diapers. I wouldn't change any of it, though; I don't know what I'd do without him.

When I was ten, my father passed away, and the only person that could give me any comfort was Jacob. His parents would send his sisters over to my house in an attempt of distracting me, but I only wanted to hang out with him. We'd go up to my room and lay in bed while we watched Disney movies, or we'd climb up to the tree house in my backyard and play domino for hours.

He was also there for me when I got my heart broken, and he's the only reason I survived my dreadful break up with Sam, a boy I'd been dating since junior high. A couple of weeks before high school graduation, I found out that Sam had been cheating on me with my supposed best friend, Emily, and I only became aware of the situation after she came to me, seeking _my_ help because Sam knocked her up and refused to support her or the baby.

Turns out that they had been seeing each other behind my back for a while and their sexual encounters had been unprotected, so Emily didn't think she'd get pregnant. It was nasty to say the least, since I became the laughingstock of La Push, the reservation where we were born and raised, but as soon as we graduated, he brought me to Seattle with him.

We moved in together in a small apartment and both worked part-time to pay for the rent and other bills while I attended U-Dub and he got his cosmetologist's license. Once he did and he started working full time, we moved into a bigger apartment, even though I wasn't able to pay half of the rent.

That changed, though, when I became a Spanish teacher at one of the elitist high schools in Seattle for the past year, and I also owed it to Jake since he arranged an interview for me with one of his clients after I graduated college with my Foreign Languages and Literature degree.

So, here I was, paying back just a little of all he'd done for me, by sacrificing myself and allowing him to do my hair and make-up before a night out on the town with his other best friend.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes, once again, and sighed. "I'm kinda nervous about meeting Bella, I mean, she's your friend, and she gets along with _Edward_, but that doesn't mean she's gonna like me."

Jake smirked. "You're never going to get over the fact that I'm with Edward, are you?"

"If you mean that I'm never gonna get over the fact that your sexual preferences limited my chances with you, then yes, I'm not."

"I can't believe you'd be attracted to me," Jake said, incredulously.

"Why not? You're fucking hot, and I always liked you, but I always knew you were gay."

"You did not!" he exclaimed. "You only knew about it when I started dating Edward and I came out of the closet."

I snorted. "It was more like he took you into the janitor's closet at school and you had to _come out_ because you got busted."

Jake blushed. "I can't believe we got caught due to being noisy. Damn me and my oral skills."

"Eww, I don't want inside details of your rather passionate sex life, Jacob! I'm traumatized enough seeing all your PDA, thank you very much."

"Whatever," Jake retorted, rolling his eyes. "Let's get back to Bella, alright? I know for a fact that she'll like you, and you wouldn't be worrying about this if you would have spent some time with her during the summers she went to Forks. But _no_, you wouldn't go because you were jealous and didn't want to share your best friend."

Jake was right; Bella had befriended him when we were all little kids, but I had refused to join them on their fishing trips that their fathers dragged them to and had actually never met her. Every year, she would come from Phoenix, Arizona, where she lives with her mother, to visit her dad, Charlie, after they got divorced. He's the Chief of Police in Forks, and best friend to Billy, Jacob's dad... And my mother's fiancé, too.

Yup, that's right. Bella's old man is marrying my mother. They had been dating for a couple of years, but Charlie finally proposed to my mom after his favorite football team, the Mariner's, won the Super Bowl. Super romantic, right?

Well, now Jake's trying to get Bella and I to bond since we're going to be officially step-sisters in two weeks and we haven't even spoken a word to each other. It's not that I have anything personal against Bella, but I don't like her closeness to my Jacob. He's _my_ best friend.

I knew I was behaving like a petulant child, which made me come back with, "So what if I don't like sharing? I skipped school the day that they taught us that in kindergarten, remember?"

"Well that's too bad, but don't worry, Leah. You'll always be my best girl, alright?"

"Alright," I sighed. "So where are we going that I have to be all dressed up? You know that I don't get along with high heels, dresses and all these girly accessories," I said, motioning to my outfit.

He grimaced. "I know, honey, but we're going to Eclipse, so it's absolutely necessary."

"_Eclipse_? As in Seattle's _exclusive_ gay bar?"

"Yes; why?" Jacob raised his brow at me. "You got a problem with that?"

"Of course I don't, and you know that, but what about Bella?"

"Bella's lesbian," he simply stated.

"Oh," I exhaled.

"_Oh_, what?"

"Oh, what if she thinks that I'm also a lesbian and hits on me, Jacob!" I shrieked.

Jake chuckled. "She won't, okay? And if she does, then just go with the flow. Besides, you never 'experimented' during college, baby." He smirked, wiggling his brows. "Maybe it's time you did."

.

.

.

An hour later, Jake and I arrived at Eclipse, where Edward and Bella were already waiting for us at a booth. Edward looked really hot, dressed in a charcoal grey suit and a black shirt with a matching tie, while his fiery hair was in its usual disarray.

And Bella, oh, my God, she looked stunning. She wore a black and red mini dress that revealed her long legs, which looked endless with the help of her black pumps; her chocolate brown hair fell down in soft waves, framing her face and her beautiful, delineated chestnut eyes.

And the fact that I had checked her out thoroughly had me on the border of freaking out, since I had never checked a girl out before. Ever.

After Jake introduced us, we ordered drinks and made small talk, yet that was until an upbeat song started playing and Bella dragged Jake to the dance floor.

Edward looked to me and said, "Well, I guess I'm chopped liver, huh? She didn't even ask me if I was okay with them dancing together."

"Sorry, E," I chuckled. "Do you wanna go over there and show them how it's done?"

"Oh, definitely," he replied, standing from his seat and taking my hand.

Just as we approached the dance floor, Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight I'm Loving You" began playing. Edward smirked, wrapping his arms around me once we stood across from Jacob and Bella, and pulled me closer to him.

We moved together in perfect synch, our bodies never separating as we smiled at each other until the song was over. Just as another song began to play, Jacob walked over to us with Bella trailing behind him.

He tugged Edward's hand from my waist and said, "Okay, that's enough. I wanna dance with my man now."

"About time," Edward retorted, turning into Jake's body. "I was beginning to think that you didn't want to dance with me."

"Nonsense," Jake muttered. "How would I not wanna dance with you, baby? It's not my fault that Bella can't keep her hands off of me. You know how insatiable she is."

"Yeah, I wanted to cop a feel of your fabulous ass, but you were too anxious to get back to your honey," Bella chuckled.

Just then, Edward pulled Jake into his side and placed a kiss on his forehead. "You better not put your dirty paws on my man's ass, Bella. You _do not_ want me messing up my manicure while I mark your pretty face."

I could feel a smirk creeping up on my face as I saw their banter, which was almost as similar to ours, but it was tainted with the twinge of resentment I felt in the pit of my stomach.

As if Edward could read my thoughts, he looked over at Jake and said, "How about if you and I go get something to drink?"

"I don't know," Jacob replied, looking over at me. "What about Leah and Bella?"

"Oh, I'm sure they can manage five minutes without us; right, girls?" Edward asked. "Besides, I'm pretty sure they would love to dance."

"Sure," Bella replied. "We can dance… if Leah's okay with that?"

Everyone's eyes fell upon me, seeking a response, but I was too busy shooting daggers at Edward with my eyes to say anything, so I just nodded. Edward grinned, tugging Jake's hand as he pulled him in direction to the bar. "C'mon, baby, let's go."

Jake looked over at me, silently apologizing for the situation Edward had put me in, but I just shook my head, plastering a fake smile on my face. Bella bit her bottom lip while she nervously gazed at me. She sighed, running her hand through her hair as she said, "We don't have to do this, you know?"

"No, it's fine," I lied. "Jacob's trying really hard for us to get along. The least we could do is try."

"Yeah, you're right," she exhaled. "I know it's really hard on him that we hadn't met until now, so let's go on the dance floor and mingle while we jiggle our booties."

I laughed at her comment and nodded, walking back to the dance floor as Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" came to an end. I became panic-stricken as I recognized the first notes the next song, which was also a song I had been listening to earlier.

It would be my demise if anyone found out that I liked Selena Gomez's "Love You Like a Love Song," so I tried not to mumble the words as I moved to the rhythm and her voice blasted from the speakers:

_ It's been said and done  
>Every beautiful thought's been already sung<br>And I guess right now here's another one_

_So your melody will play on and on, with the best of 'em _

I guess I wasn't as successful as I thought because Bella looked over at me and grinned. "You know this song!" she accused, pointing at me.

"I do not," I replied in a haughty manner, shaking my head as I continued dancing.

Bella flat out guffawed, teasing me. "You love it! Admit it!"

"_Never_, you hear me? I will never admit that, _Isabella_," I countered. I knew she hated being called that, even if it was her full name. Jake had shared that small bit of information with me, so I was going to use that to my advantage.

She gasped and stopped dancing. "What did you call me?"

I sneered at her, staying silent and dancing as the song continued.

_ You are beautiful, like a dream come alive, incredible  
>A sinful, miracle, lyrical<br>You've saved my life again  
>And I want you to know, baby <em>

"Nothing… I won't call you that ever again if you promise not to tell anyone that I like this song," I threatened.

"Fine!" she cried. "You lying liar that lies! 'Cause you don't like it, you love it!"

"Whatever," I muttered, under my breath before singing the next verse at the top of my lungs.

_ I, I love you like a love song, baby  
>I, I love you like a love song, baby<br>I, I love you like a love song, baby _

Bella grinned, singing the next line with me, "_And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat!"_

.

.

.

Four hours, three blisters and I don't know how many drinks later, we all climbed into a cab on our way back to our apartment. Edward was going to spend the night with Jake, and I guess Bella was, too, because it was too late to go all the way to Forks to drop her off at her house.

Besides, I know that Chief Swan wouldn't be too happy that we went to his house while we were all intoxicated. Not to mention loud. We were extremely loud, too. Bless the driver for putting up with our obnoxious asses.

When he pulled up to our apartment building, I got out first and paid him our fare, adding a generous tip. The rest of the guys walked ahead of me and into the building, snickering as Bella tripped.

"Shhh," I murmured. "Be quiet, or we're going to get in trouble with Mrs. Cope!"

"Who's Mrs. Cope?" Bella whisper-shouted, as she took off her shoes.

"She's the old spinster that we call our landlord!" Jacob shouted.

"Jake," Edward chastised. "Keep your voice down."

"Make me," Jake defied.

"I know of a way of keeping you quiet, baby," Edward told him. "And I plan on showing you as soon as we get into your room, so hurry the fuck up."

Bella and I giggled, smiling as Jake practically sprinted down the hallway to our apartment. When we entered, Edward pulled Jake to him, kissing him passionately as he tugged his tie from around his neck. Jake groaned loudly, clutching Edward's body to his in an attempt to get closer to him as they made their way to his room.

Watching in awe at their unrestrained passion, I shifted uncomfortably as I stood next to Bella, unsure of what to do next. She twisted her fingers and looked at me. "So, I guess I'll sleep on the couch…" Bella trailed off.

"Sure, that's fine, let me just get you a pillow and some blankets," I said, walking toward the linen closet at the end of the hall. Bella followed behind, staying close to me as I retrieved the covers for her makeshift bed. I walked into my room after taking off my shoes, and went over to my bed.

Bella came in as well, looking around at the simple décor. She chuckled as she saw a picture of Jacob and me in my tree house when we were kids.

"What?" I asked.

"You haven't changed much from when you were a child," she replied.

In a way that was true, but after my father died, I was never the same. I kept that thought to myself, though, and instead replied, "That's what I've been told."

Bella crossed the room and stood before me. "You've always been beautiful," she added, looking at me from underneath her lashes.

Blushing, I picked up a pillow from my bed and muttered, "Thanks," as I handed it to her.

She took the pillow and pressed it to her face, breathing in its aroma. "It smells like you," Bella murmured.

"Like me? How do I smell?" I nervously asked, looking at her lips while I licked my own.

"Your skin," she whispered. "It smells like a honeyed fragrance… it's an innocent and wholesome scent."

"Innocent?"

Bella simply nodded, looking up into my eyes and then to my lips, wordlessly inquiring something. I wanted to ask her what she wanted, what she needed, but I was too caught up with what could happen, that I didn't say anything at all. Intrigue swept over me, allowing myself to enjoy this moment, to succumb to the attraction that I felt for Bella.

I don't know if it was the alcohol that was still running through my veins, or a hidden side of me that was making itself known, yet I didn't stop Bella from kissing me.

She tentatively pressed her lips to mine, looking into my eyes as she did so. I closed the small space between us, taking her face in my hands as I kissed her back. We shared a few chaste kisses until Bella parted my lips with the tip of her tongue, and then, I was gone.

.

.

.

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, when you feel you've done something wrong, and the anxiety is just killing you? That's how I expected to feel as I woke up next to Bella in my bed, but that unease was nowhere present.

All I could do was replay everything that had happened the night before; the way Bella had kissed and touched me, but most importantly, the way she had made me feel alive.

_Yes, Bella made me feel alive. _

After our initial kiss, things got intense pretty quickly. In a matter of minutes, we were undressing each other, and I wasn't uncomfortable with Bella when we were finally nude.

I didn't fail to notice the fact that I'd never been fully unclothed with Sam whenever we had sex before, and now I understood why: I had never been entirely comfortable with him.

And the difference with Bella wasn't only present while we'd had sex, it had happened before at the club, and I hadn't noticed it then. I hadn't had so much fun with anyone in a long time, not even Jacob, and he was my best friend.

That little bit of information filled me with joy, because maybe, after all the pain I'd suffered, I could have some happiness in my life with Bella.

Grinning as I turned on my side, I found a fully awake Bella, whom was staring at me. Her anxious expression made me feel uneasy, and in a matter of seconds, I was mirroring her look.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm waiting for you freak out once you realize the mistake you did last night by having sex with me," she declared.

"You think last night was a mistake?" I asked, hurt lacing my words, as I uttered them.

"Don't you?" she asked.

"Why would I, Bella? Last night was the best night of my life," I confessed.

"It was?"

I grinned. "Definitely."

Bella bit her bottom lip, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I didn't know you were into girls," she said. "I mean, Jacob never mentioned it before."

"I didn't either," I admitted. "And I still don't know... This is the first time I do something like this, but I don't regret it."

"So, what do we do now?" she asked. "Our parents are getting married in two weeks... do we continue to see each other like this?"

"I don't know, Bella," I sighed. "Do you want to?"

"If that's okay with you, then yes."

"Alright, let's just play it by ear."

She nodded, closing her eyes and leaning her forehead against my own.

~oOo~

Time flies by when you're in good company, so my summer with Bella seemed to have been a fragment of my imagination, but I knew it had been real because it had left an imprint on my heart.

So much happened during this time; we told Jake and Edward about our blooming relationship after our parents' wedding, we fell in love and then decided we'd try having a long-distance relationship.

When we finally told her dad and my mom that we were dating, we were surprised at their immediate acceptance. I had actually thought they'd have a problem with it, but Charlie said that he had always been aware of Bella's sexual preference, so he wasn't surprised she would eventually want to be in a relationship with another woman.

What was unexpected, and really shouldn't have, was his questioning about my own sexuality. He knew of my past with Sam, and he didn't hesitate to bring it up, claiming that he didn't want me to hurt his daughter's feelings if I suddenly realized that girls were only a phase for me. I explained to him and my mother that what I felt for Bella was completely [unique], and that even though I hadn't been attracted to a woman before, it felt natural.

And it was true; everything with Bella was as easy as breathing.

During out time together, we learned everything we could about each other, including our favorite colors, books, movies and bands. Our picks were quite eclectic and they ranged in variety, but we hardly disagreed on anything.

We only had one argument, and this was after we went out to a bar and a guy who was hitting on Bella wouldn't take a hint, even after she kept refusing to accept a drink from him.

Let's just say that I discovered that I'm a very possessive girlfriend and that passionate make-up sex is the best.

Sometimes we would go on double dates with Edward and Jacob, or we'd have a girl's night out with Alice, Edward's sister. On other nights, we would go out on movie dates, doing the traditional "dinner and a movie" before heading back to the apartment where Bella would spend the night with me.

But the best nights were when we'd spend hours in my kitchen, cooking our favorite meals, and then eating them in front of the TV afterward, while we watched our favorite shows.

This was possible since Jake was hardly around, preferring to stay over at Edward's place, and giving us the privacy to be with each other without any inhibitions.

That was the case tonight; he left us alone to say farewell privately before Bella had to go back to school in Phoenix to finish her Library Science degree. I still couldn't wrap my head around it, and it was breaking my heart to think that she wouldn't be in my bed the following night, but it was the truth.

So, as we lay in bed, wearing only our pajamas, I tried to think about anything but that. I closed my eyes and thought about all the good times we shared together, the fun times we'd had, while I unconsciously began humming the first song we danced together.

"You're singing it again," Bella accused.

"Huh?" I asked, as I opened my eyes. "Whatchu talking about?"

She chuckled. "Don't play dumb with me, baby. You know which song I'm talking about."

"Oh, you mean Selena Gomez' fantabulous song?" I smiled, taunting her.

"Did you just say it's 'fantabulous,' Leah?" she snorted. "I should totally put that on your Facebook! Just imagine what your students would say if they found out that their teacher thinks _that's _a 'fantabulous' song. It totally clashes with your Megadeath fangirl status."

"Seriously, Bella? _Megadeath_?" I asked. "I have _never_ even listened to any of their music, plus my students don't have access to my personal Facebook account; I'd _die_ if they did."

Bella laughed. "I could leak it to them, y'know?"

"And then I'd have to kill you," I teased, before placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"What were you thinking about that made you hum that catchy pop song, baby?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I was thinking about the night we met," I confessed. "Do you realize that we could have been together for awhile now if I hadn't been so stubborn about meeting you?"

"Leah, don't beat yourself up over that," she sighed. "I don't think it was in our destiny to meet before. It is what it is."

"I know, but now our time is running out and you have to leave tomorrow."

"Our time isn't running out, Leah. We already talked about this; you're going to Phoenix for Thanksgiving and I'm coming home for Christmas, remember? Plus, we're going to be in touch through texts, emails and Skype."

I pouted. "You forgot the most important one: phone calls."

"Of course! How could I forget those? We can't have phone sex without phone calls, can we?"

"Obviously not," I chuckled, rolling over her and laying between her legs. I smiled ruefully while I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and said, "I'm really going to miss you, baby."

Bella released her bottom lip from between her teeth and sighed. "I'm going to miss you, too, Leah. So much."

"I love you," I whispered, before placing a soft peck on her lips as I gazed into her eyes.

"I love you, too, baby," she suspired, threading her fingers in my hair. With a sweep of her tongue, she parted my lips, intensifying our kiss.

A groan resounded between us as I grinded into her hips and she wrapped her legs around me. I slid my hand from her hair to her chest, and kneaded her breast over her shirt. A small gasp escaped her lips as I pinched her nipples while placing wet kisses on her neck and down onto her collarbone.

Her shirt was in the way in my path of descent, so I straddled her hips and slid my hands along her torso as I pushed it up. When I reached the underside of her breasts, I applied more pressure, teasing her nipples in the process. I finally removed it as Bella slightly sat up, allowing me to pull it over her head.

I leaned over and kissed her deeply, running my hands over her chest while teasing and twisting her puckered skin. Bella emitted a loud moan into my mouth, grabbing the edge of my shirt and lifting it up.

Sitting up, I pulled it over my head, and resumed kissing her without delay. Our tongues slid languidly against each other until I broke away from her lips, sucking and nipping her skin until I reached her breasts.

I took one into my mouth, licking and scraping her nipple, while I caressed the other with my hand. After repeating the same action on her other breast, I made my descent to the waistband of her panties, leaving a wet trail on her skin.

"Oh, shit," Bella rasped, after I softly blew on her cool skin.

As I hooked my fingers into her panties, Bella sensed what I was about to do next, and said, "Baby, you don't have to, it's okay if you don't."

"It's okay," I told her. "I want to… I want you to remember this."

"Are you sure?"

Nodding, I slid her panties down her hips and exposed her bare sex. She lifted her legs, allowing me to slide them off her. I tossed them unceremoniously and leaned down, kissing her thighs and inhaling her tangy scent.

The first time I had done this for her had been awkward, but Bella was patient, and now, with months of practice, everything came naturally to me. I teased her lips with tongue, running it along from front to back, before I reached her most sensitive spot.

Bella moaned all the while as I lapped at her clit and teased her entrance with my fingers. I thrust a finger inside, nipping her bundle of nerves as I did so, causing her to cry out.

"Fuck, Leah," she panted, "Right there… oh, God, right there."

I continued with my ministrations, seeking to make her reach her orgasm, and added another finger. She twisted the sheets underneath her in her hands and began shaking gently.

Knowing that she was just seconds away from falling over the edge, I coated one of my fingers from my free hand with her arousal, and thrust it into her back entrance.

She shook with the intensity of her release and a trail of profanities spewed from her lips as she came around my fingers and into my mouth. I placed soft kisses on her stomach before crawling up the bed and lying next to her.

As soon as Bella came down from her high, she turned on her side and kissed me languidly, tasting herself on my lips. She slipped her hand into my panties, but I stopped her.

"No, baby, I'm fine," I assured her. "Pleasing you pleases me, and I've done that already."

.

.

.

The next morning, after getting dressed, I stood at the foot of my bed and stared at its emptiness for a couple of minutes before lying on top of the disheveled sheets.

I grabbed the pillow that Bella had slept on and brought it to my face, smiling ruefully as I inhaled her impregnated scent. Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered her words before she kissed me for the first time, "_It smells like you."_

I looked across the room, spotting a picture frame that contained a photograph of us at a carnival booth. Bella placed it right next to the one of me with Jacob after Edward gave it to us; he'd taken the picture when we all went to a small carnival in Port Angeles.

Bella stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, and walked over to me. "Are you done getting ready?"

I wiped my eyes and sat up. "Not really, I still have to put my make-up on."

"No, no make-up today." She sat on the bed and gave me a small peck on the lips. "I like you better au natural."

I grinned. "Good, cause I hate using it. I only wear it because Jacob makes me, otherwise he won't allow me go to the store without make-up on."

Bella ruffled my hair and said, "Let's hurry up, baby. My dad and Sue will be here soon. They're taking us to have breakfast at IHOP with Edward and Jake."

"Okay," I said, standing up.

She finished getting ready as I made my bed, and then we welcomed my mom and Charlie when they arrived. We left shortly thereafter, meeting Jake and Edward, who were already at the restaurant. Once we ate, we all drove down to Sea Tac airport, arriving thirty minutes earlier than required.

Charlie hugged Bella, saying, "I'm gonna miss you, kid."

"I'm going to miss you, too, Dad," Bella said, as she hugged him back.

He pulled away, putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly. My mom patted his back and then stepped forward, hugging Bella next. "You be good, Bella, and stay out trouble," she said, as she pulled away.

"I will," Bella promised. "Take care of Leah for me while I'm gone." She looked over at Jake and said, "You, too, Jacob; take care of my girl."

He grinned and stepped forward, hugging Bella tightly. "Always, baby. You know it."

Edward pushed him away and then hugged her next. "I'm going to miss your cooking, girl."

"You?" she said. "_I'm_ going to miss your cooking. You should become a professional chef, not a doctor."

Edward grinned. "Maybe... After I finish medical school."

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, whatever you say." When they pulled away, we all fell in an awkward silence as they stared at me.

Charlie cleared his throat and said, "Well, Sue and I are going to get some coffee; why don't you boys join us?"

"Sure, Chief" Edward replied. "Jake and I could use some coffee."

Jake looked at me and I nodded, knowing he was asking if I was going to be okay with just his gaze. "Coffee sounds good," he told my dad.

I turned to look at Bella and asked, "You wanna go sit down while we wait?"

"Sure," she replied, glumly.

Judging from her tone, it was evident that the reality of our situation was finally setting in. I blocked all negative thoughts as I looked for a seat, pointing to vacant aisle right by the gate.

We walked over and sat down silently, holding our hands. Neither one of us said anything, but I couldn't take it anymore, and said, "What are you thinking?"

Bella exhaled a shaky breath and said, "I wish I could stay longer, or that you could go with me."

"I don't want you to go either," I said, taking her face in my hands. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Bella's lip quivered as she looked down and began to cry. In that moment, she was no longer the tough girl that everyone knew, and it pained me to see her like that.

"No, baby, please don't cry," I begged. "It's going to be okay, we're going to make this work, remember?"

She nodded before a small sob broke out from her lips. I wiped her tears and leaned into her face, kissing her passionately, not giving a care about who saw us.

While we kissed, I began to cry, too, as a realization dawned on me.

_I never wanted to let Bella go. _

I knew that I loved her deeply, and that fact wouldn't be changing overtime, so when I pulled away, I said the one thing that I desired the most.

"Marry me."

"What?" she inquired.

I leaned my forehead against hers and gazed into her eyes.

"Marry me, Bella," I repeated. "I know it sounds crazy, especially because we just met, but I swear to God that these past few months with you have been the happiest months of my existence. You brought me back to life, Bella, and now that you're leaving, it's breaking my heart.

"I know that we'll be seeing each other throughout the year until your graduation, but after that, I don't want us to be apart. We'll get married, and I'll move to Phoenix with you, even if it means that I have to start all over. And I'll do it, Bella; I'll do it because I love you... because I love you and I want be with you forever."

Bella sniffled, clearing her throat. "No, no, we won't do that."

"No?" I asked, terrified that she was turning me down.

"No, I mean, I'll move here, with you... with my family."

"So that's a yes?"

She nodded as fresh tears streamed down her face. "Yes, I'll marry you."

I kissed her again, barely managing to contain a sob that threatened to escape. "I love you, Bella. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she whispered. "Thank you for asking me to marry you."

I chuckled between tears. "Are you actually thanking me for proposing to you?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said, laughing wholeheartedly.

"Well, then thank you for accepting," I added, kissing her once again until they announced her departure.

"I have to go, baby," she whispered against my lips.

"I know," I sighed, pulling away. "Call me when you get home, okay?"

She nodded, wiping her nose with a tissue. "I'll call you as soon as I land."

"Okay." I picked up her duffel bag and walked her to the gate. "Be safe and stay out of trouble, baby, and if you're gonna misbehave, make sure to invite me."

"Will do," she promised, before wrapping her arms around me and placing one more kiss on my lips.

I stood silently at the gate, watching as she passed security and waved back to me one last time. When she finally disappeared from view, I allowed myself to grieve her temporary loss. I stood alone, weeping, until two strong arms wrapped around me from behind.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetie," Jake said, in a lulling whisper.

I nodded, turning in his arms as I welcomed his embrace. Jake silently stroked my back while I cried

"We... We're getting... married, Jake," I stuttered, between broken sobs.

"You're what?"

"Bella and I," I explained. "We're getting married."

"Oh, my God, Leah!" he exclaimed, happily. "Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Thanks," I muttered, as I looked over his shoulder. "Hey, where's everyone?"

"Edward left with Charlie and Sue so that you and I could spend some quality time together."

"Really?"

"Really," he replied.

I hugged him even tighter. "I love you, Jakey."

He chuckled. "Apparently not as much as Bella since you're marrying her."

I smacked him playfully on the arm, saying, "Shut up. I'd marry you, but apparently I'm missing a little something that Edward has and that you love."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Girl, there is _nothing_ little about Edward's cock, trust me."

I put my fingers in my ears and sang, "La-la-la-la, I can't hear you!"

He kissed me on the cheek and then tugged my hand. "C'mon, prudy, let's go home."

~oOo~

- July 13th, 2013-

I smiled as I stood at the altar, waiting for Bella as Charlie walked her down the aisle.

We were with our family and friends, gathered at the Corson Building, where our wedding was to take place. Jake and Edward were both dressed in a tux and by my side as my Best Men, and across from us, stood Alice and Angela, Bella's best friend, as Maids of Honor.

Bella looked beautiful and glowing in her white, one-shoulder dress which was simple yet very elegant at the same time. Soft waves of her hair framed her face and the rest wrapped around in a messy bun at the nape of her neck.

She wore a flower pin that matched the one in my own hair since we'd both agreed we wouldn't wear a veil. Neither of us used it, and we were both dressed in white, except that I wore a halter jumpsuit that Alice had a friend design and make for me.

Bella finally reached me and held my hand during the entire ceremony, whispering "I love you" whenever she could while our photographer took candid snapshots.

.

.

.

The evening passed quickly and soon enough Bella and I were cutting our cake. Charlie approached us afterward, along with my mother, and said, "Girls, Sue and I would like to give your wedding present now."

"Dad, you shouldn't have gotten us anything," Bella said.

"We didn't, so stop complaining. Here," he said, handing me a large manila envelope, "open it."

I opened the envelope and took out the papers inside. Bella leaned into me and we both read them over quickly. I looked up at Charlie and asked, "You're giving us your house?"

"Yes, all the expenses have been covered, but you still have to pay property taxes every year," he replied.

I shifted my gaze to my mother. "What about you guys? Where are you going to live?

"Charlie and I moved to our house in La Push, Leah. We decided you guys could live at Forks since you'll need it when you start your new job."

"My new job?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I pulled some strings, so you'll be teaching Spanish at the beginning of the new school year at Forks High School," Charlie replied.

"Are you kidding me?" I shrieked.

Charlie put his hands in his pockets and fidgeted. "I know we should have asked you first, but I wanted this to be a surprise. You can say no to the job, but the house is still yours."

I handed Bella the papers and stepped forward, embracing Charlie in a hug. "No, this is perfect, Charlie. Thank you so much."

He wrapped his arms around me, returning the hug. "It's nothing really. I'll do anything to make my girls happy."

I slipped from his hold and hugged my mother next, switching places with Bella.

"This is the best gift we could ever receive," Bella said, lacing her fingers with mine.

"It really is," I added.

"We're glad you liked it," Charlie told us. He looked over to my mother and threaded his hand in hers. "Well, we'll let you girls continue to enjoy your party."

"Okay," I said, giddily. "Let's go dance, baby."

"Let's go," Bella agreed.

We walked over to the middle of the dance floor when a familiar song started to play. Bella and I looked at each other and laughed before she kissed me.

"I want you to sing and dance this song like the first time we did when we met," she told me.

"Why of course, but only if you promise to do the same."

"I promise, baby, so now sing it!"

I moved my body to the rhythm and sang along with Bella, laughing as we shared this perfect moment, which was the beginning of our new life. Everything was better than if we'd planned it, and I knew that there were still some unresolved things, like a job for Bella, but otherwise it was perfect.

As a new verse began, I sang it to Bella:

_ Constantly, you played through my mind like a symphony  
>There's no way to describe what you do to me<br>You just do to me, what you do  
>And it feels like I've been rescued<br>I've been set free  
>I am hypnotized by your destiny<br>You are magical, lyrical, beautiful  
>You are... And I want you to know, baby<em>

_I, I love you like a love song, baby _

When the song was over, Bella hugged me and asked, "Leah, do you really love me like a love song?"

I held her tighter to me and told her the truth. "No, baby, not at all; I love you more, much more than that."

a/n: I really hope you enjoyed reading this story because I wrote it with a lot of love. When I first heard of this contest, I began plotting a story for Edward and Bella, whom are a traditional pairing, but then I thought about a same sex pairing.

Afterward, when I began doing research, I found this incredible website that inspired me to write this story:

www(dot)onabicyclebuiltfortwo(dot)com(space)/(space)2012(space)/(space)02(space)/ (space)wedding-amy-jeri(dot)html


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